repression
Americannoun
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the act of repressing; state of being repressed.
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Psychology, Psychoanalysis. the rejection from consciousness of painful or disagreeable ideas, memories, feelings, or impulses.
Freud's approach to interpreting early memories emphasizes what is forgotten through the mechanism of repression.
noun
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the act or process of repressing or the condition of being repressed
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psychoanal the subconscious rejection of thoughts and impulses that conflict with conventional standards of conduct See suppression
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of repression
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English repressioun, from Medieval Latin repressiōn- (stem of repressiō ), Late Latin: “suppression”; see repress, -ion
Explanation
Repression is a kind of holding back or holding down. There's repression of feelings (willing yourself not to cry), as well as social repression (where the government limits freedom or shuts out certain groups). Repression is like suppression: you restrain, inhibit, or subdue something. Not allowing women to vote is a perfect example of political repression. If you have trouble expressing your feelings and keep things bottled up, then emotional repression is a big part of your personality. People often turn to repression because they're scared of what will happen if they say what's on their mind. Unfortunately, political and emotional repression can often lead to anger and even violence.
Vocabulary lists containing repression
"The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin
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"The Story of an Hour"
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "Beyond Vietnam" (1967)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
We have introduced the Transnational Repression Policy Act, which would establish a clear U.S. strategy to hold accountable foreign governments and their agents who intimidate or harm people in the U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 2, 2026
"Repression of social problems by governments allow bureaucracies to rot and become sclerotic as the social pressure builds to the point where bureaucracies are exploded."
From Salon • Sep. 6, 2024
Repression even extended to barring many patron saint’s feasts and Easter processions in a country where the Christian faith has vast cultural resonance, Hendricks added.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 16, 2023
In March, senators introduced the Transnational Repression Policy Act, listing a range of abuses including "coercion by proxy", which covers threats to family members overseas.
From BBC • Jul. 30, 2023
The whole Life of Society must now be carried on by drugs: doctor after doctor appears with his nostrum, of Coöperative Societies, Universal Suffrage, Cottage-and-Cow systems, Repression of Population, Vote by Ballot.
From A Century of English Essays An Anthology Ranging from Caxton to R. L. Stevenson & the Writers of Our Own Time by Rhys, Ernest
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
